Machine for performing linking and seaming operations on knitted fabric



June 16, 1942. (:QLTMAN g 2,286,787

MACHINE FOR PERFORMING LINKING AND SEAMING H ORERATIONS ON KNITTED FABRIC Filed July 23, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 MACHINE FOR PERFORMING LINKING AND SEWING OPERATIONS ON KNITTED FABRIC 4 Filed July 23,- 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 16, 1942. OL M N' ET AL 2,286,787

I vgut/2 186 Fig. 3b

Fig. 6. 33 Yul-722 I l 4 464 I. 4 5 2vul 48315139353.

June 16,1942.

MACHINE FOR PERFORMING LINKING AND SEAMING B. J. COLTMAN ETAL 2,286,787

OPERATIONS ON KNITTED FABRIC Filed July 23, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 9.

Patented June 16, 194-2 MAGHINE FOR PERFORMING LINKING-AND SEAMING OPERATIONS N KNITTE FABREC Bernard Jordan Ccltman, South Wigston, and Ronald James Thornton, Blacy, England 12 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for performing linking and seaming operations upon knitted, fabric, the expression fabric being intended to include articles knitted or made of knitted fabric.

Usually in linking or seaming operation several pieces of work. are fed or applied to the machine successively without pause inthe operation of the looping mechanism so that the said pieces are joined together by chains of waste stitching which have to be out either by hand upon removal of the work from the machine or while the work is still in the machine to separate the pieces and remove the waste entirely.

The present invention comprise an improvement the object of which is to provide means of a simple but nevertheless eificient character for cutting and removing the waste material more expeditiously and neatly than heretofore while the work is in the machine.

According to this invention there is provided adjacent to the stitching zone a chaining element which or a part of which is of a movable, e. g. yielding or resilient, character adapted normally to occupy a position out of alignment with the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but adapted to be held in said path by the stitched work and upon release by the work, i. e., after the stitched work has been carried beyond the chaining element, to be caused to resume its normal position so that the waste stitching is positioned favourably for cutting.

There are also provided cutting means so arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be clear of the stitching on the work but to receive the waste stitching when the chaining element or the movable part thereof is released by the stitched work and caused to resume its normal position.

The invention is mainly intended for application to linking machines of the characteristic type comprising a horizontally disposed dial or circular bed which carries radially arranged points on individual ones of which the work is impaled loop by loop by the operator and alooping mechanism including aneedle and a co-opcrating lcopcr past which the work is caused to travel slowly by siow rotation of the point carrying dial or bed. The needle, which may be either strai ht or of curved or bowed form, is usually carried by an arm pivotally mounted in the machine and oscillated by means of an eccentric on a main shaft.

linking machine is represented at l.

A particular illustrative embodiment of the invention as applied to a linking machine of the characteristic type specified in the last preceding paragraph will now be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In the drawings: c

Figure 1 is a plan view of so much of said machine as is necessary to illustrate the application of the invention thereto,

Figure 2 is a part sectional view of the same taken on the line 11-11 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a side View of one form of the chaining element per se,

Figures 3a and 3b are similar views of alternative forms of said element,

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the cutting device employed in conjunction with the improved chaining element,

Figure 5 is a plan View of the same,

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the cutting device as'seen in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line VII-VII of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a greatly enlarged detail view, partly in section, showing in diagrammatic fashion the manner in which the resilient forepart of the chaining element is held down at appropriate times by the stitched work,

Figure 9 is a similar view, but shows the forepart of the chaining element in its normal position with a chain of waste stitching positioned thereby favourably for cutting,

Figures 19 and 11 are further enlarged detail views representing the cutting blades in relation to the chaining element, and

Figure 12' is a general perspective view of means for automatically removing the pieces of work from the machine as will be hereinafter described.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

Figures 1, 2 and 12 are drawn to a smaller scale, and Figures 8-11 to a larger scale, than the remaining figures.

In Figures 1 and 2 a portion of the dial of the As will be seen, the dial is horizontally disposed and supports a ring 2 which in turn carries radially arranged points 3. These points project outwardly beyond the periphery of the supporting ring 2 and are firmly held in position between a brass ring 4 and clamping members such as 5. The said clamping members are attached to the ring 2 by means of screws 6. The supporting ring 2 is held in position upon the dial 1 by means of a clamping ring I. On its underside the ring 2 is formed with teeth such as 8 (see Figure 2) adapted to mesh with an appropriately driven pinion (not shown) whereby the dial I is slowly rotated. The teeth 8 are enclosed by a dishshaped guard 9, and, as shown in Figure 1, a guard I is provided to protect the points 3.

The stitching zone is indicated at B in Figure 1. Briefly considered, the looping mechanism comprises a curved needle II and a co-operating looper in the form of a hook l2. Referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that the needle is carried by an arm l3 pivotally mounted in the linking machine and adapted to be oscillated from an eccentric on a main shaft (not shown) through intermediate connections such as M and IS. The looper hook I2 is secured to a cranked shaft l6 and mounted in a bracket I! which latter is attached to the dial l. The looper is operated in conjunction with the needle to produce a chain of stitching in accordance with conventional practice, and accordingly any further description of the looping mechanism is considered unnecessary. For the sake of clarity in illustration the needle arm l3 and associated parts have been omitted from Figure 1, and for a similar reason the bracket I1 is not shown in Figure 2. Now in accordance with the present invention a chaining finger I8 is provided which, as shown more clearly in Figure 3, comprises a stem or shank H311 and a relatively long and slender forepart |8b which is to some extent cranked or bent and then inclined or obliquely disposed at We in relation to the stem or shank. The inclined or obliquely disposed portion l8c is of a springy character, and the extent to which it is yieldable is indicated by dot-and -dash lines in Figure 3. The forepart l8b may be of rounded, flattened or of any other suitable cross sectional shape and may, as shown, be tapered from its juncture at l8d with the stem or shank [8a to the tip. The stem or shank and the forepart may be integral and made from a single length of suitable material so as to constitute a one-piece chaining finger (see Figure 3). Alternatively, these two parts may be made separately and subsequently joined together in the manner shown in Figure 3a. For instance the forward end of the stem or shank may be drilled or tapped axially for reception of the appropriately formed rear end of the forepart. According to the still further modification shown in Figure 3b, the flexible portion 180 of the complete chaining element may be made separately from and adapted to be mounted independently of the remaining, i. e. rigid, portion thereof, the two portions, however, being so arranged as to function in the same way as the one-piece finger shown in the drawings. In any event the stem or shank 18a is so mounted in a small carrier element I9 just above the points 3 as to extend substantially in the direction of a tangent in proximity to the stitching zone B with its inclined or obliquely disposed flexible portion IBc directed beyond the looping mechanism and upwards from the plane of the points. As shown in Figure 1, the chaining finger is made longitudinally adjustable within the carrier element [9 and is fixed therein by means of a set screw 20. The said carrier element is mounted to turn on a stud 2! which is fixed in a bearing 22. This bearing is in turn angularly adjustable upon the customary fabric guard 23 or any other suitable fixed part of the linking machine. After angular adjustmentto set the chaining finger in its correct positionthe bearing 22 is secured or set by a screw 24. A wire spring 25 serves yieldingly to hold the chaining finger with its forepart 18b directed downwards toward the points 3. This spring is attached at one end to the angularly adjustable bearing 22 and at the other end bears upwardly upon the underside of the stem or shank lBa with the result that the element I9 is turned on the stud 2| so that the forepart lab tilts downwards.

Referring to Figure 8, the arrangement so far described is such that when the machine is in operation and a piece of fabric or work such as C is being operated upon at the stitching zone B, the chain stitches 26 which are engaged with the fabric loops 2'! are formed about the flexible portion I of the chaining finger l3 which portion, due to the tightness of the stitches, is pulled down into the path of the stitches and held there by the stitched work C. Consequently, when the stitched work C leaves the looping mechanism (which operates without pause while the next piece of work is coming into the. stitching zone), it releases the flexible portion about which stitches are still being formed so that the waste chain D of stitching is deflected or raised into a favourable position for cutting in the manner represented in Figure 9. It is convenient here to mention that in the specific example illustrated the chain of stitching is formed from two threads, viz. a looper thread 28 and a needle thread 29, although the invention is not necessarily limited in this respect.

A cutting device including fixed and slidable blade-like parts 33 and 3! respectively is provided in proximity to the looping mechanism to receive, when open, the waste stitching raised by the chaining finger as aforesaid. This device is shown in greater detail in Figures 4-7 and the approximate position thereof in relation to the chaining finger I8 and the looping mechanism is indicated in Figure 1. The rear portions of the parts 35) and 3| are accommodated side by side Within a groove or channel 32 formed in one side of a bracket 33 (see Figure '7). The fixed part 3!) has a notched extremity 34 with a sharp edge 35 and, as depicted in Figure 5, is attached to the bracket 33 by means of a screw 36. Alternatively, the part 33 may be formed integrally with the bracket 33. The said bracket is supported by, and screwed or equivalently secured in position on, the clamping ring 1. The slidable part 3!, which is formed at its outer end with a cutting edge 31, is slidably mounted adjacent to the fixed part 39 and is guided partly by reason of its engagement in the groove or channel 32 and partly by means of a screw 38. In this latter respect the slidable part 3! is formed with a longitudinal slot 39 (Figure 6) through which the screw 38 is passed into the fixed part. A compression spring 40 is provided on the screw 38 and bears on the slidable part or, as shown, on an interposed washer or collar such as 4!, so as to hold the slidable part firmly against the fixed part in order to ensure a satisfactory shearing action. The slidable part 3| is normally advanced so as to cover the notched extremity of the fixed part 30 by means of a small springcontrolled plunger 42 arranged to act upon a pin or stud 43 which projects laterally from said slidable part. The plunger 42, together with the associated compression spring M, is accommodated in a holder 45 which is secured to the appropriate side of the bracket 33 by means of a screw 46. An operating lever such as 41 is pivotally mounted at one side of the cutting device and connected to the slidable part 3!, said lever being positioned for operation by a part on the needle arm l3 each time the latter is operated to advance the needle H whereby the slidable part 3| is retracted against the action of the associated spring 44 so that the notch 34a in the fixed part 39 is uncovered to receive the waste stitching. In the specific example illustrated the slidablepart 3| has a notch 48 (Figure 6) in one edge and the lever 41 is centrally piv oted at 49 on a lug 50 on the fixed part 38 with the end of one arm rounded at El and located in said notch and the other arm located in the path of a right-angularly shaped element 52 which, as shown in Figure 2, is adjustably fixed to the needle arm 13. Thus, when the needle arm l3 is operated, the slidable part 3! of the cutting device is reciprocated. As will be seen from a consideration of Figure 2, the cutting device is mounted in a substantially radial position with respect to the dial 1 or circular bed of the ma chine with the notched extremity 34 of the fixed part just above the adjacent points 3 and just clear of the path of the stitched work C (Figure 8) but so that when the waste stitching D is lifted as shown in Figure 9 it enters the notch 34a in the fixed part and is cut on the forward strokes of the slidable part 3!. By reason of the continuous operation of the needle arm l3 when the machine is working the cutting device oper-- ates continuously with a snipping action as the waste stitching is automatically pushed through it. The waste chain D of stitching is depicted in Figure 9 as having been severed by the shearing action of the cutting device. In Figure 16 the cutting device is open, and the flexible portion I8c of the chaining finger is in the path of the stitches--being held there by reason of the engagement of the fabric loops 2'! with the chain stitches. In Figure 11, on the other hand, the flexible portion [30 (which, together with the waste chain D, is shown in cross section) is in its raised position within the notch Sea; the open and closed positions of the cutting device are indicated in this figure in full and dot-and-dash lines respectively.

Instead of operating the slidable part 35 by the needle arm 13, additional operating means,

such as a cam and intermediate connections, may

be provided and arranged so that the waste stitching is out only at the beginning and at the end so as to leave no loose ends on the pieces of work.

There may be provided in th improved linking machine means for automatically removing the pieces of work from the machine after linking. These means preferably consist of a defiecting member located in an appropriate p-osi tion so as to be engaged by each piece of work I as it leaves or after it leaves the stitching zone B whereby the said piece is automatically pushed off the points 3. For example a member of resilient character may be fixedly attached to the periphery of the bed or equivalent circular part so as to extend circumferentially thereon and be sprung outwards therefrom. Alternately the said member may be formed or spring controlled so as to be normally sprung inwards and a pivoted lever or a catch operable by a lever may be provided for holding the said member in the outward position. In either case by reason of the outward disposition of the said member and the rotation of the work in relation thereto and in contact therewith the work is gradually pushed off the points. One particular example of the means just described is illustrated in Figure 12. In this example the deflecting member consists of a slightly curved spring steel blade 53 formed at one end with a downward extension 54 which is attached to a trip leverfifi. This lever is horizontally arranged and pivoted centrally at 56 upon a small angular bracket 51 which latter is fixed to the bed or any other suitable stationary part of the machine. The free end of the deflector blade 53 rests against the ring 2 just beneath the points 3, and the trip lever is adapted to be controlled by a manually operable pivoted lever 58. The last mentioned lever is suitably mounted upon a fixed part located beneath the dial l and islformed at its outer end with an upstanding projection 59 which is located in a notch 60 in the trip lever 55. In Figure 12 the lever 58 is shown in the position it occupies when serving to hold the trip lever 55 outwards; in this position the end of the deflector blade 53 which is attached to said trip lever is held away from the periphery of the ring 2. Consequently, and since the free end of the blade is still in contact with the ring 2, the blade assumes an outward disposition to push the work off the points 3. By turning the lever 53 in the direction of the arrow, however, the deflector blade is re leased and permitted to spring into an inoperative position in which it lies fiat against the periphery of the ring 2,

A the structural features of the finger as to its inherently springy characteristic and the position of a portion of it as obliquely disposed are stated in the specification, it is believed that the novelty and utility of this will be appreciated and understood.

What we claim then is:

1. A machine for performing linking and seaming operations upon knitted work comprising, in combination, a looping mechanism located at a stitching zone, a movable part which is adapted to support the work and carry the latter past the looping mechanism, a chaining element which is located adjacent to the stitching zone, a part of said element being of a movable character adapted normally to occupy a position out of alignment with the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but to be held in this path by said work while it is being operated upon at the stitching zone and upon release by the work after the latter has been carried beyond the chaining element to be caused to resume its normal position, and cutting means so arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be normally clear of the stitching on the work but to receive and cut the waste stitching when the movable part of the chaining element is released by the stitched work as aforesaid.

2. A linking machine comprising, in combination, a horizontally disposed dial, radially arranged pcints carried by said dial and upon individual ones of which knitted work can be impaled loop by loop, means for rotating said dial, a looping m chanism located at a stitching zone, said mechanism including a needle and a cooperating looper past which the work is caused to travel by rotation of the dial, a chaining element which is provided in association with the looping mechanism and located adjacent to the aforesaid stitching zone, a part of said element being of a movable character adapted normally to occupy a position out of alignment with the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but to be held in this path by said work while it is being operated upon at the stitching zone and upon release by the work after the latter has been carried beyond the chaining element to be caused to resume its normal position, and putting means so arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be normally clear of the stitching on the work but to receive and cut the waste stitching when the movable part of the chaining element is released by the stitched work as aforesaid.

3. A linking machine comprising, in combina-- tion, a horizontally disposed dial, radially arranged points carried by said dial and upon individual ones of which knitted work can be impaled loop by loop, means for rotating said dial, a looping mechanism located at a stitching zone, said mechanism including a needle and a (lo-operating looper past which the work is caused to travel by rotation of the dial, a chaining element which is provided in association with the looping mechanism and located adjacent to the aforesaid stitching zone, a part of said element being of a movable character adapted normally to occupy a position out of' alignmentwith the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but to be held in this path by said work while it is being operated upon at the stitching zone and upon release by the work after the latter has been carried beyond the chaining element to be caused to resume its normal position, and cutting means so arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be clear of the stitching on the work but to receive and cut the waste stitching when the movable part of the chaining element is released by the stitched Work and caused to resume its normal position.

4. A machine for performing linking and seaming operations upon knitted work comprising, in combination, a looping mechanism located at a stitching zone, a movable part which is adapted to support the work'and carry the latter past the looping mechanism, a chaining element located adjacent to said stitching zone, said element being in the form of a finger having a relatively slender forepart a portion of which is of a flexible character, said portion'by reason of its inherent resiliency normally occupying a position out of alignment with the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but being held in this path by said work while it is being operated upon at the stitching zone, said portion, however, being adapted upon release by said work after the latter has been carried beyond the chaining element to be caused to resume its normal position, and cutting means so arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be normally clear of the stitching on the work but to receive and out the waste stitching when the movable part of the chaining element is released by the stitched work as aforesaid.

5. A machine for performing linking and seaming operations upon knitted work comprising, in combination, a looping mechanism located at a stitching zone, a movable part which is adapted to support the work and carry thelatter past the looping mechanism, a chaining element which is located adjacent to the stitching zone, a part of said element being of a movable character adapted normally to occupy a position out of alignment with the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but to be held in this path by said work while it is being operated upon at the stitching zone and upon release by the work after the latter has been carried beyond the chaining element to be caused to resume its normal position, and cutting means so arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be clear of the stitching on the work but to receive and cut the waste stitching when the movable part of the chaining element is released by the stitched work and caused to resume its normal position, said cutting means comprising relatively movable scissor-like parts which are operable in timed relation with the movement of the movable part of the chaining element to position the waste stitching for cutting.

6. A machine for performing linking and seaming operations upon knitted work comprising, in combination, a looping mechanism located at a stitching zone, a movable part which is adapted to support the work and carry the latter past the looping mechanism, a chaining element which is located adjacent to the stitching zone, a part of said element being of a movable character adapted normally to occupy a position out of alignment with the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but to be held in this path by said work while it is being operated upon at the stitching zone and upon release by the work after the latter has been carried beyond the chaining element to be caused to resume its normal position, and cutting means so arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be clear of the stitching on the work but to receive and cut the waste stitching when the movable part of the chaining element is released by the stitched work and caused to resume its normal position, said cutting means being in the form of a device comprising a fixed blade and a slidable blade which later is automatically operable by a moving part of the machine.

'7. A linking machine comprising, in combination, a horizontally disposed dial, radially arranged points carried by said dial and upon individual ones of which knitted work can be impaled loop by loop, means for rotating said dial, a looping mechanism located at a stitching zone, said mechanism including a needle and a co-operating looper past which the work is caused to travel by rotation of the dial, a chaining element in the form of a finger having a slender forepart a portion of which is of a flexible character and adapted by reason of its inherent resiliency normally to occupy a position out of alignment with the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but to be held in this path by said work while it is being operated upon at the stitching zone and upon release by the work after the latter has been carried beyond the chaining element to be caused to resume its normal position, said finger being so mounted just above the points as to extend substantially in the direction of a tangent with respect to the point circle in proximity to the stitching zone with its flexible portion directed beyond the looping mechanism and upwards from the plane of the points, and cutting means so arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be clear of the stitching on the work but to receive and cut the waste stitching when the flexible portion of the chaining element is released by the stitched work and caused to resume its normal position.

8. A machine according to claim 6, wherein the fixed blade has a notched extremity, and the slidable blade is mounted for reciprocation alongside said fixed blade, the arrangement being such that when the waste stitching is deflected by the chaining element it enters the notch in the fixed blade and is cut on the forward movements of the slidable blade.

9, A linking machine comprising, in combination, a horizontally disposed dial, radially arranged points carried by said dial and upon individual ones of which knitted work can be impaled loop by loop, means for rotating said dial, a looping mechanism located at a stitching zone, said mechanism including a needle and a cooperating looper past which the work is caused to travel by rotation of the dial, a chaining element which is provided in association with the looping mechanism and located adjacent to the aforesaid stitching zone, a part of said element being of a movable character adapted normally to occupy a position out of alignment with the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but to be held in this path by said work while it is being operated upon at the stitching zone and upon release by the work after the latter has been carried beyond the chaining element to be caused to resume its normal position, cutting means so arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be clear of the stitching on the work but to receive and cut the waste stitching when the movable part of the chaining element is released by the stitched work and caused to resume its normal position, and means for automatically removing pieces of work from the machine after linking.

10. A linking machine comprising, in combination, a horizontally disposed dial, radially arranged points carried by said dial and upon individual ones of which knitted work can be impaled loop by loop, means for rotating said dial, a looping mechanism located at a stitching zone, said mechanism including a needle and a co-operating looper past which the work is caused to travel by rotation of the dial, a chaining element which is provided in association with the looping mechanism and located adjacent to the aforesaid stitching zone, a part of said element being of a movable character adapted normally to occupy a position out of alignment with the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but to be held in this path by said work while it is being operated upon at the stitching zone and upon release by the work after the latter has been carried beyond the chaining element to be caused to resume its normal position, cutting means 50 arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be clear of the stitching on the work but to receive and cut the waste stitching when the movable part of the chaining element is released by the stitched work and caused to resume its normal position, and a deflecting member which is so located as to be engaged by each piece of work after it leaves the stitching zone whereby the said niece is automatically pushed oif the points.

11. A linking machine comprising, in combination, a horizontally disposed dial, radially arranged points carried by said dial and upon individual ones of which knitted work can be impaled loop by loop, means for rotating said dial, a looping mechanism located at a stitching zone, said mechanism including a needle and a cooperating looper past which the work is caused to travel by rotation of the dial, a chaining element which is provided in association with the looping mechanism and located adjacent to the aforesaid stitching zone, a part of said element being of a movable character adapted normally to occupy a position out of alignment with the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but to be held in this path by said work while it is being operated upon at the stitching zone and upon release by the work after the latter has been carried beyond the chaining element to be caused to resume its normal position, cutting means so arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be clear of the stitching on the work but to receive and cut the waste stitching when the movable part of the chaining element is released by the stitched work and caused to resume its normal position, a deflecting member which is so located as to be engaged by each piece of work after it leaves the stitching zone whereby the said piece is automatically pushed off the points, said member being formed so as to be normally sprung inwards, a pivoted catch for holding said member in the outward position, and a lever for operating said catch.

12. A linking machine comprising, in combination, a horizontally disposed dial, radially arranged points carried by said dial and upon individual ones of which knitted work can be impaled loop by loop, means for rotating said dial, a looping mechanism located at a stitching zone, said mechanism including a needle carried by a movable arm and a co-operating looper past which the work is caused to travel by rotation of the dial, a chaining element in the form of a finger having a relatively slender-forepart a portion of which is of a flexible character, said portion by reason of its inherent resiliency normally occupying a position out of alignment with the path normally followed by the stitches on the stitched work but being held in this path by said work while it is being operated upon at the stitching zone and adapted upon release by the work after the latter has been carried beyond the chaining element to be caused to resume its normal position, and cutting means so arranged in relation to the stitching zone and the chaining element as to be clear of the stitching on the work but to receive and cut the waste stitching when the movable part of the chaining element is released by the stitched work and caused to resume its normal position, said cutting means being in the form of a device comprising a fixed blade and a slidable blade which latter is automatically operable by the aforesaid needle arm.

BERNARD JORDAN COLTMAN. RONALD JAMES THORNTON, 

